Cause this is THRILLER
by XTheAuthoressX
Summary: Oneshot. Jedediah/Octavius. When the sun came up, the exhibits’ minds fell into sort of a deep sleep, a world separate from their waking body. And sometimes, in this world, they dreamed… Rated T for blood/violence. Do not own NatM


During the day, when the patrons of the museum were solid and frozen to the naked eye, not all was as it seemed. When the sun came up, the exhibits' minds fell into sort of a deep sleep, a world separate from their waking body. And sometimes, in this world, they dreamed…

Jedediah found himself in the Wild West. He looked around at the empty expanse of sand and plastic, frowning. The sun had just gone up, he remembered, but now the sun was down again. He either had slept the entire day without a dream and had just come back to reality, or this was a dream itself. Just to make sure, he gave him arm a pinch. He didn't think he was dreaming.

"Well. Seems I've missed the gosh-dern party. Whole town's gone missin'." The cowboy stood up from the sand, brushed off his legs, and looked around. It looked like a ghost town. There was not a soul in sight. He peered out over the museum, and it too was deserted.

"That's just strange." He murmured. He took off his hat and scratched his head. "Nobody's home."

It took a hop, skip, and a jump to get the cowboy into Rome. It was one thing his people were missing. It was another that the museum seemed empty. He wanted to see what Octavius thought on the matter. What he saw when he got into Rome was another thing entirely.

It was empty, too. Not a soul, man, woman, child or general walked around the plastic version of Rome. Jedediah stared, mouth open, eyes wide. Where was Octavius?

"Octavius?" He started forward at a soft pace, though panic was laden in his voice. There was no answer. "Octavius?!" His voice was louder, and he started to run, checking in every nook and cranny he could find. Still, nothing. "God dammit OCTAVIUS!" Jedediah was back in the center of Rome, breathing heavily and panicking. Where was everyone?

Jedediah sat down, trying to think. "Alright, partner, don't panic. Gotta be a good reason they're gone. Jus' think. Gotta be 'round here somewheres." Jed was talking to himself. He took off his hat and stared at it.

"Only thing ta do is go find 'um." He stood, smiling a little. He had an adventure now. He figured they had to be _in_ the museum somewhere. If they were outside they wouldn't be for long. He went over to where the Roman horses were tied and took one.

"Hope ya don't mind ridin' 'round a little with a cowboy." He patted the horse on the flank. The horse looked back at him, a little wide-eyed. Jed looked at it, and frowned. Something had spooked that poor creature, and spooked it bad. Jed patted it again.

"Nevermind. I guess I'm gonna be goin' it alone." He sighed. Something was up.

~*~

Jed strutted into the main area of the museum, looking around. He'd walked from the Hall of Miniatures all the way to the main hall and had seen narry a soul. No one. Nothing. Let's just say Jedediah was a little freaked out.

Just then, he saw a flash of a red plume behind the main desk. He felt his heart race in his chest. He knew that plume. Octavius. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the desk, holding his hat with one hand and waving with the other.

"Octavius! Good god, man, where'ja go-" Jed was whooping and hollering gaily, and when he was within tiny arms reach, he was grabbed and roughly pulled behind the counter, cutting him off. Octavius pressed a hand over the cowboy's mouth, eyes wide and calm.

"Jedediah, it would be prudent of you to keep your voice _down_." Octavius whispered harshly. Jed nodded, looking the Roman over. Octavius looked horrible. He was white as a sheet, with dried blood caked on a wound on his forehead. His hands were shaking, his clothing was ripped, and he was missing a few pieces of armor. Dark bruises littered his armor-less legs and upper arms.

"What in tarnation happened to y'all?" Jedediah asked, once Octavius has released his hold on the cowboy.

"I am not quite sure. I… we woke to screaming, and found some of our men with…" Octavius paused, swallowing hard. He'd cared for those men. Jed put a hand on the Roman's shoulder in comfort. Octavius looked up, smiled a little, and continued, though his smile was gone. "They had no scalp, Jedediah. And then they began to move." Octavius suppressed a shudder.

"Yer saying they had them heads ripped open and then they, what, got up and walked off?" Jed asked, disbelieving.

"They didn't walk off. They tried to kill us."

Jedediah froze. Something had tried to kill Octavius. He snarled. "Well, then, guess it's a good thing Jedediah's come ta this here party. Lemme at 'um." Jedediah was rolling up his sleeves. Octavius stopped him, a stern look on his face.

"Jedediah, stop. The armies of the Roman empire fell easily to this scourge. We, the only survivors, barely made it here alive." Octavius gestured to the five or six other miniatures behind him. The only survivors. "I am not letting you rush to your own death. You shall stay with us. We can figure this out together. " Octavius put his hands on Jed's shoulders.

Jedediah sighed. "Fine, fine. Don't'cha think, though, that we're kinda sittin' ducks out here?"

"Sitting ducks?" Octavius was not familiar with this particular slang.

"Easy targets. Ya know." Jedediah pulled out one of his guns and held it out at arm's length. "Pow." He mimed firing.

"This does seem true. Where else do we go is the question." Octavius mused. There was a small commotion on the other side of the desk.

"Wherever we go, be better git goin'. Sounds like yer undead friends found our little hidin' place." Jed whispered. The groans of the undead were clearly getting closer. The small group skirted towards another exit. One of the Romans fell a little behind and suddenly, he screamed. The zombies were upon them.

Octavius and Jedediah fled, hand in hand. Jed was dragging Octavius a tad as the screams echoed across the museum. The rest of their group was no longer with them. The pair ran until they were hidden in the trees of the Hall of African Mammals, tired and out of breath. Octavius leaned against a tree and slid down to sit, head in his hands.

"Octavius, c'mon, buck up. S'not yer fault." Jedediah sat next to him, putting his arm around Octavius.

"Jedediah, they were my men and I let them down." Octavius looked up, face pale and bruised and muddy. "I have nothing left."

"Ya have me." Jed grinned, hugging Octavius with one arm. "Ya never let me down."

"So it would seem." Octavius smiled, hugging Jed back. Jedediah grinned as well. They sat there, in each other's arms, for what seemed like hours.

Suddenly, there was a groan from close by. Octavius shot to his feet, Jedediah right behind. The cowboy drew his guns, holding them up and out in a protective manner. One of Octavius's men stumbled through the trees.

His eyes were glazed over, and dark, think blood oozed from under the man's helmet. Blood seeped from his open, groaning mouth. His bruises, once a slight purple, were now a dark mottled color closer to blue. He groaned. Jed, out of habit, pulled the trigger on a gun he thought didn't work. It fired with a bang, and the man fell, a hole in his head.

Jedediah stared at his gun. He could've _sworn_ this thing never worked before. Octavius was staring at Jed, mouth open.

"Well, least we got a way to kill these suckers afore they kill us." Jed nonchalantly blew the smoke from the tip of his gun. Octavius was about to say something when movement distracted them. The one that had fallen was dead, but there were more coming through the trees. A lot more. Jed fired off another shot, drawing his other gun, and the pair took off.

They kept on running, Jedediah gaining a little ahead in his own fear. Suddenly, Octavius wasn't behind him anymore. "Octavius!" Jedediah called, spinning. His mind was cursing him out for loosing Octavius in this hell. The groans grew closer again, and with tears near to his eyes, Jed fled. He ran as hard as he could, thinking he was leaving his friend, maybe more, to those bastards.

Jed finally found a nook in a wall where he was alone. He sat down, dirt smudged across his face, bruised and battered, and tears flowing freely. "Octavius, I'm sorry!" He cried to nothing. He was alone. He'd left his friend for dead and now he was alone. "God dammit!" He leaned backward forcefully, his head colliding with the solid stone.

He opened his eyes, considering putting the gun to his own head. Ending it all. But he thought better of it. If he were to make it out of this hell alive… Octavius would want him to. He had to do this for Octavius. He had to survive.

"Jedediah…" The cowboy looked up to see Octavius standing between him and the way out. Jed jumped to his feet.

"Octavius, thank…" His jubilant welcome was cut short when he noticed the thick blood seeping from under Octavius's helmet. "Octavius…" Jedediah suddenly realized what had happened. He also realized that he was trapped.

"Come with us, Jedediah…" Octavius murmured, dark blood dribbling from his mouth. Jed backed against the wall, gun drawn. His hand was shaking.

Jedediah had a choice. He knew he did. He could either die, here, at the hands of the one he cared so strongly for, or he could shoot Octavius. He gulped. He didn't want to die. But he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

Octavius was advancing, slowly. Jedediah's gun was still raised, shaking like a leaf in a storm. Octavius was a tiny inch from the gun, staring at Jed with those glazed over eyes.

"Come with me, Jedediah. Trust me. I am your friend." Octavius murmured. Jedediah squeezed his eyes closed, a tear streaking down the dirt on his face.

"Yer not Octavius ya bastard!" He shouted through gritted teeth, and pulled the trigger.

~*~

Jedediah sat straight up in bed. Tears were still flowing down his face, and the gunshot echoed in his head. He looked around, eyes still wide, breath still heavy, heart still pounding. He felt the bed, the sheets, with his hands. He didn't remember being in a bed. He brushed his own tear away and climbed from the bed, heading out of his tent.

The Wild West was bustling like normal. Octavius was sitting around a campfire with some of the boys. When the Roman caught sight of Jed, he stood and walked over.

"Jedediah, you're awake. Thank Jupiter." Octavius smiled. "When the sun set, you still did not wake. I was frightened. You were screaming."

Jedediah was staring at Octavius with wide eyes. It was a dream. Everything was a dream. The cowboy was never so relieved in his life. Without a word, he threw his arms around Octavius, holding him tightly. Octavius hugged back.

"It was a dream. Sweet Jesus, it was a dream…" Jed was laughing he was so happy none of that happened. Octavius smiled back at him.

"Yes, Jedediah. It was just a dream."


End file.
